On the Equilibrium between the Cell and its Environment in Regard to Soluble Constituents, with Special Reference to the Osmotic Equilibrium of the Red Blood Corpuscle

Abstract

Since the pioneer experiments of Sidney Ringer' first demon- strated the absolute necessity of certain saline constituents in the circulating fluid supplied to the isolated contracting heart, in order that the heart muscle should be enabled to carry on in a normal fashion its physiological functions, a host of observers have been fascinated by the study of the reaction of the living cell to changes in the soluble inorganic constituents of its environment.